By: Daniela Olariu

On days when Connie Robertson doesn’t have an early class, she turns her TV on and watches the morning news. The third-year Ryerson University business student, who pays for her own cable, enjoys watching CTV News to stay informed before her busy day begins.

Recently, she hasn’t had much time to watch the morning news and relies on Facebook and Twitter to keep her in the loop. “I can only watch T.V. at home, so social media apps on my phone help me access trending news whenever I want,” she says. “I mostly read stories based on what others have shared or tweeted that grabs my attention.”

Robertson isn’t alone. Most undergraduate Toronto university students regularly consume news from the Internet and social media.

“Facebook is the most popular and frequently used social media platform among students; half of students use Instagram, and nearly as many use Snapchat” AMANDA LENHART

A recent poll done by the Ryerson School of Journalism and political science department indicates that 40 per cent of students rely on the Internet and 35 per cent rely on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. Twelve per cent get their news from television, five per cent rely on friends and six per cent do not consume news according to the poll. The combined 74 per cent for Internet and social media suggests this is the most popular way for students to find news.

A recent poll done by the Ryerson School of Journalism and political science department indicates that 40 per cent of students rely on the Internet and 35 per cent rely on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. Twelve per cent get their news from television, five per cent rely on friends and six per cent do not consume news according to the poll. The combined 74 per cent for Internet and social media suggests this is the most popular way for students to find news.

 

The public opinion survey of 1,155 undergraduate degree students at Ryerson University, OCAD University, George Brown College and University of Toronto was conducted between Jan. 22 and 29. The latest figures show roughly 112,000 students attend those institutions at the undergraduate level. The survey has a margin of error that ranges from plus-or-minus 3.02 per cent, 99 per cent of the time.

Charles Zamaria, a radio and television arts professor at Ryerson University says social media websites are becoming the main form of news consumption for younger audiences. “Many students don’t have time to read newspapers or watch television as often. They turn to what is circulating on their Twitter and Facebook feed for news,” he says. Zamaria adds that time has become a factor that stands in the way of students consuming traditional media, so they tend to turn to the quick method of checking social media outlets.

“Teens are diversifying their social network site use. A majority of teens use more than one social network site.” AMANDA LENHART

A report done by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press  states that students’ online news habits differ from older audiences. The report suggests that a majority of online news users younger than 25 often follow links to news stories, rather than go directly to the homepages of news organizations themselves.

Zamaria says students tend to follow links to news stories because checking social media is a daily habit. “Most students regularly hear about breaking news stories through social media’s circulation, which then takes them to the main source of the news,” he says.

For Kyla Kumevick, a second-year George Brown College student who studies general arts and science, checking social media is her primary source of news consumption. “I don’t watch television or read the newspaper but I’m just as informed as most of my friends who do,” she says. “I think social media has become our generation’s method of consuming and sharing news.”

Social media continues to increase news consumption habits among younger audiences.  Zamaria believes that it has slowly started to replace traditional news consumption methods. “The Internet and social media outlets are no longer seen as just another form of media anymore,” he says. “It’s now become a destination for news itself.”